Earth & Sky

Design to prevent collapsing bridges, burst pipes

The disaster of the Minnesota 35 W bridge collapse has raised concerns about aging infrastructure in the United States.
Photo: Eric Brandt

Burst pipes and collapsing bridges have raised concerns about aging infrastructure in the United States.

A 2005 study by the American Society of Civil Engineers indicated a need for $1.6 trillion over a 5-year period to improve or replace aging infrastructure in the U.S.. With that challenge comes an opportunity to make infrastructure that’s more sustainable, according to Scott Matthews, a professor of environmental engineering and public policy, and research director at Carnegie Mellon University’s Green Design Institute.

Scott Matthews: Almost anything can be made ‘more sustainable.’ The real question is, what part of it are you really going to focus on?

Matthews said that engineers can use recycled materials or incorporate by-products from other processes, rather than creating new materials. He said standard engineering decisions are made on how much materials cost and that many natural resources – like water, for example – have been undervalued. The cost doesn’t reflect its scarcity in some places.

He said sustainable engineers can make a big difference in conserving natural resources by eliminating the need for them in the design phase.

Scott Matthews: The challenge is going beyond saying we can design sustainable projects, and there’s thousands and thousands of them out there, but instead trying to find ways in that people decide that those are the ones they want to persue.

Written by Lindsay Patterson